“Algae-based resins represent an outstanding opportunity for companies across the plastic supply chain,” Cereplast founder, Chairman and CEO Frederic Scheer said in an Oct. 20 news release. “We believe that algae has the potential to become one of the most important green feedstocks for biofuels, as well as bioplastics.”

Hawthorne, Calif.-based Cereplast currently uses corn, tapioca, wheat and potatoes to make its bioplastics. The firm also compounds Ingeo-brand PLA bioplastic made by NatureWorks LLC.

“It’s critical to have access to feedstocks not based on starches,” Scheer said by phone Oct. 20. Non-starch feedstocks “have less impact on the food chain and are less sensitive to price changes.”

Scheer said Oct. 20 that the algae-based resins could be blended with polypropylene or other standard resins and used in injection molded or thermoformed parts. Cereplast also is working to use the new products in extrusion applications, he said.

Scheer declined to identify what companies Cereplast would use to supply the algae needed for its resins. Company officials pointed out that oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. recently partnered with algae producer Synthetic Genomics Inc. of La Jolla, Calif., in a deal that may be worth more than $300 million. Oil firm British Petroleum plc also has invested $10 million in algae supplier Martek Biosciences Corp. of Columbia, Md.

Scheer said Cereplast was “very encouraged” by the ExxonMobil and BP deals.

Cereplast’s sales for the first half of 2009 were down 26 percent to about $1.5 million. The firm lost $3.2 million in the first half of 2009 after losing $7 million in the same period a year ago.